VIENNA, Ga., June 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the completion of a $7-million reconstruction project, Davis K. Mortensen, Georgia-Pacific Corp.'s executive vice president - building products, rededicated the company's Vienna resin plant at a community open house ceremony yesterday.
The reconstruction means that the plant, which makes thermosetting resins and formaldehyde, is back to the full production capacity it had before the plant suffered an explosion in February 1992.
"The long history of outstanding production at Vienna and the community support were key factors in our rebuilding this plant," Mortensen said. "This plant is vital to Georgia-Pacific's growing building products business."
The rebuilt area includes the area used for the manufacture of resin, which is used to manufacture such varied products as medicines, foods, rubber and leather, in addition to building materials. The plant has an annual manufacturing capacity of 250 million pounds of resins per year. In addition, the plant is capable of manufacturing 120 million pounds of formaldehyde (the formaldehyde manufacturing facility was not damaged and continued operation uninterrupted).
"We have installed state-of-the-art environmental and safety controls that will provide the best available protection and safeguard our employees and the community," said Mallory McKinney, plant manager of the Vienna resin plant. "We're proud that we have not had a lost- time injury since the accident."
Georgia-Pacific's resin customers were supplied products by other Georgia-Pacific operations with no interruption of service.
All of the operation's employees remained fully employed and assisted with clean up and removal of damaged equipment.
"We have been pleased with the tremendous support from the community while we were rebuilding," said McKinney. "That support is one reason we came up with 'Partners in Progress' as the theme for the rededication. Having a ceremony like the one today is one way to show our gratitude."
In addition to the resin plant, which employs 46, the company also operates a particleboard plant at Vienna. This facility was untouched by the accident and has continued operation with approximately 145 employees.
Georgia-Pacific's commitment to growth is evident in its contributions to the Peach State. The company employs more than 9,000 people, operates 39 facilities and manages more than one million acres of forestland in the state. Georgia-Pacific's annual payroll for Georgia totals more than $324 million.
-0- 6/7/93
/CONTACT: Sheila Weidman, 404-521-4732, or John Buchholz, 404-220-6098, both of Georgia-Pacific/
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